SEA’s VCs raise fewer dollars in H1 2023 in sign of extended slump
Homegrown VCs closed 11 funds during the period, raising US$3.72B in total proceeds; While the number of fund closes was consistent with the previous six months, H1’s fundraising was less than half of the amount raised in H1 2022.

Zuckerberg claims tens of millions of Threads signups within hours of launch
More than 30M people have signed up to Threads, Meta’s rival to Twitter; Threads was introduced as a clear spin-off of Instagram, thereby sparing the new platform the challenge of starting from scratch.

Indonesia’s eFishery nets US$47.7M in Series D+
This brings the total funds raised for the round to nearly US$176M; eFishery supports aquaculture farmers through solutions such as B2B and supply marketplaces, smart feeding systems, and financing.

SeaMoney sheds jobs in Indonesia
The financial arm of Sea Group said the move is part of its “regular review of business operations” to maximise efficiency; The group retrenched about 7,000 staff throughout 2022.

Joel Neoh launches early-stage fund First Move
First Move will provide up to US$100K in funding to early-stage SEA ventures in e-commerce, fintech, and healthtech.

Li-ion battery recycling startup NEU Battery Materials raises US$3.7M
The investors include SGInnovate, ComfortDelGro, and Shift4Good; NEU has set up a 150-square-metre pilot recycling plant in SG, capable of processing ~150 tonnes of lithium batteries annually

Singapore’s NodeFlair gets US$2M Series A
The investors are Iterative, 500 Global, and PERSOL Venture Partners; NodeFlair provides payslip-verified salary data and detailed career information for roles across all levels of seniority.

BNPL major Atome confirms exiting Vietnam
The company said that Vietnam’s contribution to our overall business was limited; In April 2022, Atome debuted in Vietnam with a pilot spanning over 20 retail partners.

Ex-Shopee exec’s AI marketing startup Needle secures US$1.2M
The investors include Iterative, Ethos Fund, and Goldbell; Needle helps founders generate ideas, determines business and marketing priorities, and then provides personalised recommendations for effective tactics.

Antler names Warung Pintar co-founder as partner for Indonesia
Agung Bezharie Hadinegoro will lead Antler’s investment strategy and operations in Indonesia, where the VC plans to invest in more than 30 companies this year.

Bain & Company buys Rainmaking’s Asia business in undisclosed deal
With this, Bain hopes to boost its business-building services called Next, launched in 2022 to help founders go from ‘seed to scale’; Rainmaking has 50 employees in Singapore, Japan, and Korea.

Vietnamese financial education startup Stag raises US$600K
The investors are Viet Capital, NH Securities, and Resolution Ventures; Stag seeks to collaborate with universities, educational organisations to raise awareness of financial literacy.

Co-living startup Hmlet’s CEO steps down
Giselle Makarachvili joined the Singapore-based flexible living firm in January 2020 as VP (operations); One year on, she was appointed COO and then made CEO in October 2021.

You can’t post ass, Threads is doomed
Threads, the Meta-owned Twitter clone that launched this week, will always be hindered by its own content guidelines; The app is dry at best and at worst, leeching your personal data.

GM.co merges the best of Web3 and e-commerce to provide a better shopping experience
The transactions on GM.co are facilitated by cryptocurrencies and conducted over a blockchain to provide an added layer of security.

How AI-powered Dobin aims to empower half of Singaporeans who are financially illiterate
Dobin uses open finance and AI to provide consumers with a consolidated financial view, a personalised financial profile, and a permission-based app for getting value from their data

Driving financial inclusion in the Philippines: Why last-mile communities are key to winning the battle.
COVID-19 accelerated digital transformation in emerging markets, but the shift into digital payments in the Philippines is something that it has been aiming for.

The Mills Fabrica aims to transform agrifood, textile industries through its climate tech investments
It plans to invest up to US$3M in each climate tech startup and expand the model implemented in its impact retail platform Fabrica X beyond HK and London.

How to create harmony between work and life as a founder
There are a few things that we need to learn and unlearn if we want to establish harmony between our work and personal life.

Is generative AI the game-changer for productivity?
While Gen AI can automate various tasks, it cannot entirely replace human creativity, empathy, and critical thinking.

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Southeast Asia saw several emerging home-grown startups raising relatively smaller rounds of investments. In addition to domestic VCs, several foreign investors — from Japan to Europe — also came to invest.

Below is the list of investors that invested in the region’s startups this week.

Iterative

Singapore-based venture capital firm, Iterative, runs a Y Combinator-style accelerator programme. It launched its first fund in 2021, which has invested in over 65 companies in five cohorts.

500 Global

With US$2.5 billion in assets under management, 500 invests in founders building fast-growing technology companies. It invests far and wide across sectors and geographies, including 45+ companies valued at US$1 billion+ and 150+ companies valued at more than US$100 million.

Persol Venture Partners

The corporate VC arm of the Japanese HR management group Persol. Launched in 2015, Persol Venture Partners seeks to invest in the HR-tech sector.

This week, Persol co-invested in the US$2 million Series A round of NodeFlair, a Singapore-based career advancement platform for tech talents, along with Iterative (lead) and 500 Global.

Viet Capital Ventures

Established in 2018, Viet Capital Ventures (VCV) makes investments through Viet Capital Asset Management’s licensed portfolio management service. VCV invests in early- and growth-stage firms in Vietnam, emphasising companies with IT-based operations that already have revenue.

Resolution Ventures

It invests in seed to Series A fintech companies in Southeast Asia. It works with founders willing to tackle audacious goals on a global playing field. It looks for solutions that solve immediate problems around financial inclusion and the financial infrastructure in Southeast Asia that could be exported to the rest of the world.

VCV, Resolution Ventures, and other investors funded Vietnamese financial education startup Stag this week.

Ethos Fund

It invests in pre-seed-stage startups in Vietnam and the US. Ethos’s mission is to strengthen and leverage the connections between Vietnam and the US. In addition, it has established venture studios and programmes like Venture Protégé and Venture Fellowship that will provide a comprehensive support system for startups

SGInnovate

SGInnovate builds and scales deep-tech startups into high-potential companies with global impact. It focuses on adding tangible value to the deeptech startup ecosystem in two key areas: human capital development and deployment of investment capital. With the support of its partners and co-investors, it backs entrepreneurial scientists through equity-based investments, access to talent and business-building advice. Its focus areas are advanced manufacturing, agrifood, healthcare and biomedical sciences and sustainability.

ComfortDelGro Ventures

ComfortDelGro Ventures is the corporate VC arm of Singapore-based ComfortDelGro. It invests in transport-related technology startups, such as on-demand bus technology, fleet management, autonomous vehicles, fleet electrification, automotive engineering, and fleet management systems.

Shift4Good

Shift4Good is a VC fund manager investing in the decarbonisation of the transportation sector
With teams based in Paris and Singapore, it mostly focuses on European and Southeast Asian opportunities, particularly in the mobility sector.

It can deploy between €0.5 million and €20 million per company. It mostly invests in Series A and Series B rounds and can allocate 10 per cent of its funds to pre-Series A rounds.

Paragon Ventures

Paragon Ventures is an experienced merger and acquisition firm with long and deep experience in the healthcare sector. It has owned, operated and sold its healthcare businesses. It has represented and closed over 300 healthcare M&A transactions representing over US$1.4 billion in healthcare revenues.

ComfortDelGro Ventures, Shift4Good, and Paragon Ventures invested in NEU Battery Materials, a Singapore-based lithium-ion battery recycling startup, this week.

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Indonesia’s aquaculture company eFishery has raised US$200 million in its Series D funding round led by Abu Dhabi-based global fund manager 42XFund.

Malaysian public sector pension fund, Kumpulan Wang Persaraan (KWAP), Switzerland-based asset manager responsAbility, 500 Global, Northstar, Temasek, and SoftBank also joined.

The funds will be used to expand the eFishery farming community, targeting to engage over 1 million aquaculture ponds in Indonesia by 2025 and increasing the transactions of fish feed and fresh fish on the platform. The goal is to export fully traceable, chemical-free and antibiotic-free shrimp to international markets.

Co-Founder and CEO Gibran Huzaifah said: “The strategic support we receive from our investors will help us revolutionise the entire industry, especially by integrating Indonesian smallholder fish farmers into the eFishery ecosystem that spans the entire value chain.”

Also Read: eFishery secures US$32M loan from DBS Indonesia to support expansion move

Founded in 2013, eFishery is one of Indonesia’s largest digital co-operatives for fish and shrimp farmers. It offers an integrated aquaculture ecosystem that provides access to technology, supporting over 70,000 fish and shrimp farmers in 280 cities across Indonesia.

Its solutions include feeder technology that speeds up the crop cycle by up to 74 days, access to financial institutions worth more than US$40 million, and a platform to sell fish and shrimp crops.

The company has three main objectives: to address food security through aquaculture, to overcome fundamental challenges in the aquaculture industry by providing affordable technology, and to reduce social and economic inequality through an inclusive digital economy.

In October 2022, eFishery secured a US$32 million loan from DBS Bank Indonesia, as per a Tech In Asia report.

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Singapore-based early-stage venture capital firm Antler has appointed Agung Bezharie Hadinegoro as a Partner.

Hadinegoro will spearhead Antler’s investment strategy and operations in Indonesia. This aligns with Antler’s plans to invest in over 30 Indonesian companies in 2023.

Hadinegoro brings over a decade of entrepreneurial and venture capital experience. Before joining Antler, he co-founded and headed Warung Pintar, a digital platform that connects micro retailers with suppliers (manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers). Warung Pintar, backed by East Ventures, SMDV, Vertex Ventures, and OVO, was acquired by SIRCLO Group in 2022.

Before Warung Pintar, Bezharie contributed to organisations such as East Ventures and Global Entrepreneurship Program Indonesia, where he played an active role in empowering aspiring entrepreneurs by providing them with the necessary resources, funding, access to mentorship, and networking opportunities to flourish in the competitive business landscape.

Also Read: Antler Elevate closes US$285M emerging growth fund

Founded in Singapore in 2018, Antler partners with people across six continents to launch and scale high-potential startups that address meaningful opportunities and challenges. Its global community backs people from the beginning with co-founder matching, deep business model validation, initial capital, expansion support, and follow-on funding.

It has so far invested in over 792 companies across 25 cities worldwide and has an accumulated portfolio value of US$3.7 billion. It aims to back over 6,000 by 2030.

Antler has offices in 25 cities, including Singapore, Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh, Austin, New York, London, Berlin, Stockholm, Bangalore, Seoul, Tokyo, and Sydney.

The next residency programme in Indonesia will kick off in October 2023 in two phases. The first phase is about building the right team with co-founders who have complementary skills. During this period, Antler will provide the necessary resources and expertise worldwide to enable founders to validate their business ideas and prove product-market fit.

After the first phase of ten weeks, the strongest teams will be selected to get funded from pre-seed to beyond and expand across Indonesia and Southeast Asia.

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As the dawn breaks on the digital age, marketers face a horizon gleaming with the promise of Artificial Intelligence. For Temus, an upstart in the fast-evolving business of digital transformation, the future of marketing is a captivating narrative — a story of transformation, unprecedented possibilities, and discerning navigation through uncharted territory.

This intricate narrative rests on three pillars that define Temus’s outlook.

The future of marketing: Why does it matter to Temus

Firstly, Temus recognises that the path of digital transformation is still being paved – not just for us but for our customers, stakeholders, and the entire industry. We believe in the strength of thought leadership that advocates for holistic organisational change and places people at the heart of any transformation as the way forward.

“When Temus was founded, it was much about building capabilities and value creation as it was about organically developing digital talent. People and talent are central to any transformation and close to the purpose of Temus and at the heart of what we do (and) how we do it,” said Srijay Ghosh, its founding member and chief revenue officer.

Secondly, we understand that in this world of shifting landscapes, trust is our compass. Temus’s credibility is anchored in our unwavering consistency and customer-centric approach, which forms the bedrock of our partnerships with employees, customers, and stakeholders. We acknowledge that reputation is the only currency in the marketplace of trust, and it’s the ethos that our marketing ethos continually strives to strengthen.

Also Read: Digital transformation: It starts and ends with our people

Lastly, we cannot discuss the future of marketing without acknowledging the impact of digital operating models, particularly AI. The potency of AI to transform industries is already apparent — think CGI rendering of Princess Leia in “The Rise of Skywalker” or Paul McCartney’s project regenerating John Lennon’s voice. Yet, the vast oceans of data still remain uncharted, trapped in digital silos, or lying dormant in human memories.

Some lessons from marketing’s digital frontrunners

For marketers, the question is not about the existence of these digital resources but how to effectively leverage them. It’s crucial to remember that the marketing industry is not monolithic; it’s a rich tapestry of brand communicators, growth strategists, and product marketing professionals. Some have embraced the AI frontier more readily, revealing the landscape’s promises and pitfalls.

Consider the case of programmatic advertising, where AI-driven ‘click, bid, serve’ operations have reduced the Cost Per Thousand Impressions (CPM) by 16 per cent, extended reach by 44 per cent, and increased conversions by 18 per cent. Yet, it has also been a landscape marred by issues such as ad fraud, with 56 per cent of budgets wasted and 30 per cent of clicks originating from non-human traffic.

The opportunities that AI presents in the realm of the Digital Marketing Stack are significant, with marketers achieving a near-complete view of customer journeys, from Analytics and Activation to Experience and Data Management. Here, companies like Singapore Airlines have set the benchmark, using AI to construct personalised customer experiences and transform journeys.

However, while AI lights up the path to opportunity, there are areas that remain shadowed. For instance, the value of earned media in trust-building, a domain still dominated by human gatekeepers running newsrooms, is often elusive. In Singapore, traditional media’s trust level has climbed, with a score of 46 points according to Reuters Institute and 59 points in the Edelman Trust Barometer — matching the trust scores of institutions like the United Nations.

Herein lies the paradox. While AI accelerates our journey into the digital age, we must also discern the boundaries and possibilities of analogue in this digital world.

“(We) believe that we will not be competing against AI, but competing in the age of AI. To succeed, we must do so hand-in-glove with machines to achieve meaningful digital transformation. This will continue to impact the way we regard talent development, effect change in business operations, and ultimately drive our economy forward in the digital age.” said KC Yeoh, Chief Executive Officer at Temus.

Also Read: Debunking misconceptions about FinOps and cloud spending reduction

We must understand that AI’s greatest power will be unleashed when it augments and elevates human potential, and conversely, humans should be prepared to sharpen these tools for humanity’s service.

Raising marketing’s appeal to humanity with AI

For this co-evolution to occur, we need an industry-wide mindset shift. A McKinsey Global Institute report estimates that by 2030, as much as 14 per cent of the global workforce may need to switch occupational categories. We need to equip marketers with the necessary skills, from Python to Power Fx to Natural Language Processing, to navigate the AI landscape and make AI a partner, not a threat.

But technical skills are only one side of the coin. Navigating AI’s landscape requires a unique blend of science and art — analytics with creativity and algorithms with empathy. This narrative of AI is not one of displacement but of empowerment, amplification, and elevation.

We stand at a crossroads, looking forward. To paraphrase a visionary, “The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” AI presents an opportunity for us to rethink and reimagine the marketing landscape. For those bold enough to navigate this new terrain, the journey promises to be as rewarding as the destination.

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Mobile internet technology transformed global communication, introducing a new age of connectivity. Location-based services like Uber, Gojek, and Grab have revolutionised transportation and food delivery, while user-generated content platforms like TikTok have redefined media consumption. With the advent of 5G connectivity, super apps are now further consolidating multiple online functions into single, user-friendly platforms.

However, while mobile internet has extensively solved the problem of connectivity, it hasn’t adequately addressed productivity. The ability to process, understand, and generate insightful outputs from the plethora of information available still largely falls under human responsibility. This is where generative AI, or “Gen AI,” is stepping in.

Emergence and potential of generative AI

 

Gen AI, employing machine learning algorithms, learns from vast data pools and generates new content based on this learning. These capabilities permit Gen AI to not only analyse but also create, innovate, and assist in decision-making, potentially revolutionising productivity.

Two pivotal aspects that Gen AI is shifting are cognitive capability (the development of our intelligence) and cost of productivity (how we produce our intelligence).

Currently, AI’s cognitive capability sits around the 30-50 per cent percentile of human ability. With Gen AI, this could go to the 10 per cent percentile. In the future, there is a clear potential for the development of superintelligence, encroaching on the one per cent percentile of human ability.

In terms of productivity costs, today, producing intelligence takes substantial resources: food, education spanning about 12 years, and work experience. The Gen AI shift significantly alters this equation, necessitating primarily electricity, GPU, and data – all increasingly democratised resources. This shift results in exponentially cheaper productivity.

However, not all Gen AI is equal. Varying in architecture, training, and the quality of input data, different AI systems display a wide range of capabilities and potential output quality. A critical understanding here is that AI is as good as its training data, implying the need for unbiased, accurate data to prevent flawed outputs.

Gen AI and the “market creating” domino effect

 

The launch and usage proliferation of ChatGPT and other Gen AI apps for other media formats has sparked a “market creating” domino effect, demonstrating the potential demand for similar AI applications. The release of the OpenAI API and other LLMs has made developing such intelligence more cost-effective from an app builder’s standpoint.

This has led to an explosion of “copycat” apps, although many have been met with failure due to a lack of security and reliability. This, in turn, has stimulated a demand for more fine-tuned, secure, reliable, and accurate narrow AI, particularly for business use cases or proprietary data-driven models.

As a response to this increasing demand, a significant focus is now on developing the data value chain. We are witnessing a shift in budget allocation, with more money being earmarked for AI strategy and investment in data value chain solutions.

Despite its immense potential, Gen AI isn’t a panacea for all productivity inefficiencies. It is crucial to remember that while Gen AI can automate various tasks, it cannot entirely replace human creativity, empathy, and critical thinking – the “human touch.”

As we integrate Gen AI more deeply into our lives, we must remain mindful of its limitations and potential pitfalls, striking a balance between leveraging the benefits of AI and preserving the irreplaceable value of human ingenuity.

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Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, people have asked this question: How to establish a work-life balance? While many of us believe that working for fewer hours is the key to having a work-life balance, most Founders are struggling to balance work and personal life.

“Work-life balance isn’t about squeezing everything into one day. It’s about spreading what matters to you throughout the week. You can’t have it all at once, but you can probably have most of it over time.” — Adam Grant

There are a few things that we need to learn and some things we need to unlearn if we want to establish harmony between our work and personal life.

My fellow Founders, in my entrepreneurial journey, I was constantly benchmarking my own lifestyle with others, and seriously I was feeling just guilty!  here are a few things that I learnt about having a harmonious life between work and life – and letting go of comparing with others:

Accept that work and personal commitments are a part of your life

The concept of work-life balance highlights the fact that work is an important aspect of life, but it is not the only aspect that contributes to your overall well-being. This indicates that work and personal commitments are an important part of your life. Along with work responsibilities, you need to manage time for personal interests, relationships, and self-care.

“I don’t like the word ‘balance.’ To me, that somehow conjures up conflict between work and family… as long as we think of these things as conflicting, we will never have happiness. True happiness comes from integration… of work, family, self, community.” — Padmasree Warrior

The struggle starts when you try to separate these factors and experience them individually, which is more or less impossible because you are one human being juggling two different roles at once. Both these roles have their own demands and expectations, and you have to prioritise things according to their importance and urgency.

Also Read: How Gen Z’s view on work-life balance can transform your business

It is unlikely that your personal life has never affected your work life and vice versa. It does happen sometimes, and the key is to accept that it is okay. Things become problematic when you prioritise your work more than personal commitments or vice versa. It is bound to happen on some days, but when it happens for prolonged periods of time then you need to pause and think about what is the next agile course of action.

Make sure your work time is productive 

How frequently do you respond to the random notifications that pops-up on your screen as you work? Yes, there could be some important emails regarding work, but frequently checking emails or getting distracted by the same leads to lower productivity.

It usually leaves one feeling that they have a lot to get done, but due to frequent distractions, they are unable to focus. As a result, productivity suffers.

One research shows that around 84 per cent of people are distracted at work. The most common distractions tend to be phone calls/texts (55 per cent), internet (41 per cent), co-workers (27 per cent), and email (26 per cent).

The first step to overcoming distractions is to identify the sources of distraction. Most of the time, it is social media notifications or pop-up ads. Turn off or minimise notifications on your phone, computer, and other devices that may distract you.

Experiment with different time management techniques and see what works best for you. Try to prioritise important tasks for the day and create a distraction-free environment for yourself to focus on your work properly. Remember to take regular breaks to recharge your energy and maintain focus.

Let go of the need for perfectionism

There are times when you put too much pressure on yourself to make your work absolutely perfect. While good work is appreciated at work, perfectionism can be problematic. Perfectionism is not like having high standards or a strong work ethic.

Perfectionists often set unrealistic expectations for themselves and others, leading to feelings of disappointment and frustration. They demonstrate an excessive concern for detail and a fear of making mistakes or failing.

“Striving for excellence motivates you; striving for perfection is demoralising.” — Harriet Braiker

Perfectionism can be harmful because perfectionists tend to overwork, find it difficult to delegate and are often scared of failure. This can also lead to procrastination because they might avoid starting a project because of the immense amount of work it would take to make it perfect.

Also Read: 5 things to stop apologising for if you want work-life balance without feeling guilty

One way to deal with it is to be okay with your work being “good enough” instead of it being absolutely perfect. Set realistic expectations from yourself and realistic deadlines. Be kind towards yourself. Remember that you are a work in progress.

Seek feedback from colleagues or fellow Founders to gain a third-person perspective on your work. This can help you gain a more balanced perspective and identify areas for improvement.

Remember, achieving work-life balance is an ongoing process that requires regular assessment and adjustment. It’s important to be kind to yourself and prioritise self-care as you work towards achieving a healthy balance between your work and personal life. And yes, I have pivoted many times!

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NodeFlair, a Singapore-based career advancement platform for tech talents, announced today that it has raised US$2 million Series A funding.

The funding round was led by Iterative with participation from 500 Global and PERSOL VENTURE PARTNERS, the corporate venture capital arm of HR management group PERSOL.

Prominent angel investors Quek Siu Rui (CEO & Co-founder of Carousell), JJ Chai (CEO & Co-founder of Rainforest), and Siew Kum Hong (Former COO of AirBnB China) also participated in the funding round.

The new funding will be used to accelerate product development, expand into new markets across Southeast Asia, and grow the team. NodeFlair aims to reach profitability by 2024.

Also Read: How AnyMind Group achieved profitability through its approach to human resource and leadership

NodeFlair provides payslip-verified salary data and detailed career information for roles across all levels of seniority. The platform aims to empower global tech talents to make smarter career decisions, as well as allows international employers to hire the right people faster by connecting them with highly qualified professionals across Asia.

It currently supports companies of any scale, from startups to tech giants such as ByteDance, Dyson, and Shopee.

Founded in 2018, recently released a Tech Salary Report 2023, which includes analysis based on over 170,000 salary data points.

The company announced that it received over 5,500 downloads and was referenced by more than 50 publications in the first half of 2023. It also stated that 90 per cent of the platform’s two million annual visitors discover NodeFlair organically through media coverage, search engines or word-of-mouth.

Ethan Ang, Co-Founder CEO of NodeFlair, shared: “Asia is home to many strong technical talents, and we’re seeing rapidly growing interest from US and EU companies in setting up technology hubs here. We believe tech professionals and companies deserve greater access to reliable, accurate data and NodeFlair is a win-win platform for both job seekers and employers in the fast-growing tech sector.”

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Image Credit: NodeFlair

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Hong Kong-based venture capital fund and startup incubator The Mills Fabrica is looking at high potential climate tech startups in Southeast Asia (SEA)—they are ready to invest up to US$3 million to develop sustainable textile and agrifood tech innovations.

Grown out of the Nan Fung Group textile legacy in Hong Kong, the company’s mission is to make a positive impact across the value chains of the textile and apparel, and agrifood industries.

“This is because both industries are significant contributors to climate change, emitting up to 44 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions,” explains Cintia Nunes, General Manager, Head of Asia, The Mills Fabrica, in an email interview with e27.

“Therefore, with our mission of accelerating innovations for sustainability, environmental and social impact, we strive to support sustainable and disruptive innovations in ‘techstyle’—the intersection between technology and lifestyle—and agrifood tech, in the hope of bringing planet-positive impact.”

Some examples of its portfolio companies include Circ, which pioneered a chemical recycling technology that can recycle polycotton into reusable fibres, and The Supplant Company, which turns agriculture’s most abundant renewable resources such as corn cobs, oat hulls and wheat straw into replacements for the world’s most pervasive ingredients.

The Mills Fabrica also invested in Chinese agrifood tech VC fund Bits x Bites which has since backed 16 companies to accelerate their impact toward a more sustainable food system.

Also Read: Meet the 4 SEA startups of PepsiCo’s climate tech accelerator programme

This year, in addition to investing in the climate tech scene in SEA, The Mills Fabrica also plan to expand the model that was implemented in its impact retail platform Fabrica X beyond Hong Kong and London. The platform aims to redefine retail by using physical storefronts as a tool to educate the masses on sustainability and bring techstyle innovation to more people.

“Southeast Asia is definitely on our radar for Fabrica X’s next destination, where we can provide our value in supporting a flourishing techstyle and agrifood tech ecosystem,” Nunes says.

To understand more about The Mills Fabrica and what they are about, read the edited excerpt of the interview.

Can you tell us more about your investment strategy?

In terms of investment strategy, we understand there is also no one-size-fits-all approach, so we work with each business individually to see how we can best offer value.

But generally, we base our evaluation on the nine planetary boundaries and examine how the business’s innovation has an effect on solving any one of those areas. Key metrics for measurements also evaluate whether there is water use reduction, avoidance of greenhouse gas emissions, land use, eutrophication avoided, microplastic and chemicals.

All in all, what we’re looking for is whether the innovations are:
– Accelerating circularity
– Developing novel materials, processes, and manufacturing Systems
– Advancing alternative ingredients
– Promoting conscious consumption

And of course, whether there is social impact, like better health, wellness, and increased sustainability knowledge.

Also Read: Collaboration with corporates plays a crucial role in climate tech startups’ success

Of all regions, why do you choose to expand to SEA? Is there any specific opportunity that you aim to seize?

The Mills Fabrica reached our five-year anniversary this year.

While we’re looking out for innovative startups worldwide, we are drawn to SEA as we’ve seen in the past years the region’s rising ambitions to change the world for the better in these categories. So we’re eager to partner with these players and work with them to bring their innovations to the market.

Timing is critical too. As the world fast approaches the precipice of a climate tipping point, the production of fibres, food, and other associated inputs requires natural capital which has contributed to the precarious state of our social-ecological system.

This is why accelerating innovations for social-ecological resilience is now more urgent than ever.

Upon reflection, The Mills Fabrica has been supporting hundreds of startups over the years through our various activities. And in particular, through our investment and incubation programme, we have supported more than 35 techstyle and agrifood tech innovations.

Whilst our portfolio spans across the globe, given the infrastructure, manufacturing landscape, drive for change, and entrepreneurial spirit of the region, we believe Asia has huge potential to make a positive impact across the value chains of the textile and apparel, and agrifood industries.

We don’t limit ourselves to startups either — we also invest in mission-aligned venture capital funds too, where we can combine our offerings to accelerate change.

Also Read: How climate tech companies in Asia measure the impact of their work

What are the challenges that SEA green tech startups are facing? And how can The Mills Fabrica support startups in tackling these challenges?

There are a few challenges that most of these startups face:

Lack of understanding — definitely the major challenge for green tech startups, including those in SEA. While there are genuine interests in sustainability, there are also those who are interested out of necessity given corporate or societal pressures.

Real-life application – Weaving new innovations into daily lives or the adoption into businesses requires a lot of thought, networking, logistics, and capital.

Scalability – With high costs in R&D, these industries’ technologies can be costly as well, which can hinder the scalability and deployment of these innovative technologies in the mass markets.

In terms of how we support them in tackling these challenges, at The Mills Fabrica, education is an important pillar. We want to use our platform and resources to spread science-backed knowledge and messages about sustainability so more can understand and make more informed decisions.

For example, our Impact Retail store Fabrica X in Hong Kong and innovation gallery in London serve to solve the real-life application barrier. The physical locations serve to showcase and sell products made from the latest groundbreaking technologies and materials (including those from our portfolio companies of course).

It is also an educational platform to introduce new conceptions, such as biomaterials, to the wider public. Each store includes an experiential zone where people can get hands-on learning experiences that exposes them to new ideas and habits.

In addition, we also provide support for businesses by utilising our strong system of like-minded partners — brands, manufacturers, R&D, investors, and more, to help these startups overcome the above challenges in their industries, from scaling up to brand building.

Also Read: The key to tackling climate change: Electrify shipping

What are your advantages compared to other investors?

First, our presence and connections in Hong Kong and London mean that The Mills Fabrica can add unmatched value for businesses who are looking to tap into the potential of Asia and bring Asian companies into the global arena through our capital, connections, and expertise.

Second, our strong ecosystem partnerships. Throughout our five years of operation, we’ve built great partnerships with those from every aspect of the ecosystem – who are all aligned with and are working towards our mission of accelerating innovations for sustainability, environmental and social impact.

Given our industry expertise and connections, we can also connect them to manufacturers and raw material providers that adhere to our philosophy and standards to ensure a truly sustainable approach at every step of the supply chain.

Our network also allows us to provide support for businesses by utilising our team of global industry experts and connections to like-minded retailers, investors, brands, academia, NGOs, research institutions, funds, etc.

All of them work with us to provide our portfolio companies with the knowledge and network to help them overcome challenges in their industries and understand the importance of combining artistic vision, innovative ambitions, and business understanding.

We are also happy to share that over 50 per cent of The Mills Fabrica investees receive successful subsequent fundraising.

What is your target for SEA?

We are not looking to limit ourselves to a certain number. Instead, we focus on evaluating each company’s technology and potential. Our ticket size is up to US$3 million in direct investment for startups, and we don’t have a specific number or a cap in mind.

So far, we’ve supported more than 35 techstyle and agrifood startups and invested up to US$3 million per startup through our investment and incubation programme.

Also Read: How to navigate the investment opportunity in climate tech sector

As the ecosystem is dealing with funding winter, do you see any changes in how investors are approaching green tech startups?

While the investment landscape has slowed down, interest in sustainability is soaring.

With more and more companies have now sprung up to accelerate the transition to the green economy due to the pressing challenges from climate change and population growth, investors have increased interest in green tech startups but at the same time also being more prudent in evaluating startups’ technology and potential.

As the green tech industry is still relatively new in the investment landscape, we firmly believe that more knowledge should be made available, so companies and the public can understand and make more informed decisions.

That is why The Mills Fabrica has recently launched our first-ever Impact Report, which advocates for standards and frameworks specifically for measurement and evaluation in the textile & apparel and agrifood industries. Only by having those standards and frameworks in place can we understand and measure how investments can bring in positive environmental and social impact.

It is certainly our priority to bring these standards to the wider industry so that we can all take our own steps in making a genuine difference for our planet.

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Image Credit: The Mills Fabrica

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Vietnam-based financial education startup Stag announced that it had been selected to participate in the inaugural Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) programme managed by Viet Capital Ventures (VCV) which also includes an investment in the startup.

Alongside VCV, NH Securities Vietnam Co. Ltd. (NHSV) and Singapore-based Resolution Ventures also invest in a seed funding round for the company.

This year, with the funding, Stag plans to continue enhancing financial education features while also launching new value-added products for retail and corporate users. It also plans to enhance KYC and security features and complete technology integrations with key strategic partners.

Furthermore, Stag is actively seeking collaborations with universities and educational organisations to promote and raise awareness of financial literacy in Vietnam. 

Also Read: Exploring the rise of finance-as-a-service in APAC

As investors, the firms provide strategic support in technology, market insights, and compliance for Stag to achieve its growth objectives.

“We are delighted to collaborate with VCV, NHSV and Resolution Ventures through the EIR programme. Stag’s vision is to become a trusted investment platform suitable for everyone, especially young investors. With the support of reputable partners, Stag will pave the way for sustainable investment methods and contribute to financial growth and prosperity for all,” said Stag founder Bang Tran in a press statement.

Co-founded by Bang Tran (former Senior Manager of FinVolution Group in Vietnam) along with Vu Nguyen (former AI Engineer Lead at MOMO) and joined by Dat Huynh (ex-founder of travel tech platform Inspitrip), the company’s mission is to empower young individuals and new investors with fundamental knowledge, smart investment planning, and realisation of financial goals.

Through Stag, individuals will have access to a wealth of knowledge about financial management, intuitive investment practice tools, and gamified content based on real-time market data developed by its AI engineering team.

The company also builds tools for corporate clients to customise and manage investment programmes as part of HR services.

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Image Credit: Stag

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